Shank support for shoes



W. H. HORNE SHANK SUPPORT FOR SHOES Aug. 7, 1923. 1,464,363

Filed Dec. 7, 1921 III-122T I I 61m. "up

Patented Aug. 7, 1923.

NITED STATES WILLIAM H. HORNE, OF PORTSMOUTH, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

SHANK SUPPORT FOR srrons.

Application filed December 7, 1921.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that WILLIAM H. HORNE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Portsmouth, in the county of Bockingham lowing is aspecification.

The present invention relates to improvements in arch supports for shoesof that particular variety in which the support is ex terior of the shoeand the invention has for an object to provide an adequate support forthe arch of the foot without adding materially to the weight of the shoeor detracting from its appearance.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved external archsupport for shoes in which simplicity of construction and economy arecharacteristic features, and wherein the supporting medium will befirmly attached to the shank of the shoe in such position as to remainsubstantially hidden from view at all times.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of an archsupport constituting a small article of manufacture capable of beingshipped and applied to the shoe at small cost and in a manner which willbe obvious to the ordinary shoemaker.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention will be morefully described hereinafter, and will be more particularly pointed outin the claims appended hereto.

In the drawings, wherein like symbols refer to like or correspondingparts throughout the several views,

Fig, 1 is a side view of a shoe shown with the improved arch supportconstructed according to the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the shoe and support;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the frame of the support; and

Fig. 4 is a similar view taken at a slightly different angle with theblock in-the frame.

Referring more particularly to the draw ings, l designates generally ashoe of any conventional type in which 2 is the sole, 3 the shankextending beneath the arch of the foot, and 4 the heel.

According to the preferred form of the invention, a block 5 of asuitable material is used to sustain the arch of the foot and is placedon the outside of the shoe in which Serial No. 520,526.

position it is found not inconvenient to the wearers foot nor a sourceof discomfort as are those arch supports placed within the shoe andcoming directly in contact with the foot. The positioning of the support011 the exterior of the shoe leaves the interior entirely free andallows that conformation of the shoe interior, which the manufacturerdesigned to take into the curvature of the foot, to lie in contact withall parts of he 7 same and thus serve to secure that measure of comfortand convenience which a particular style of shoe may by experience befound to have by the wearer; yet in addi-' tion to this comfort andconvenience, the wearer may at the same time with the external archsupport find the additional relief and comfort furnished only where thearch of the foot is directly sustained.

The block 5 is preferably of rubber, for instance of that character ofwhich rubber soles are made, whereby a good tread -wearing surface isprovided and at the same time a suitable degree of resiliency isobtained such as is particularly desirable at the arch. The shoe itselfis generally made more or less flexible at this point and the use of arubber block 5 as a support will not defeat the purposes of thisflexibility of the shoe, but will form a support of a flexible natureadapted to yield therewith.

According to one form of the invention, the block 5 is supported in aframe of a rectangular construction having horizontal flanges 6extending about'an opening in which the upper portion ofthe block 5 isfitted. The flanges 6 are perforated as indicated at 7 for receivingnails or other fastenings 8 by which the device as a whole is secured tothe shank 3. Tongues 9 extend down from the flanges 6 and are adapted toembrace the sides of the rubber block 5. The flanges 6 and tongues 9 arepreferably stamped from a single piece of material for instance sheetmetal, and the flanges 9 may be severed or not at their meeting edges,but I prefer that the block 5 be of a tapering construction or atruncated pyramid with its wider basal part lying uppermost and next theshoe.

The tongues 9 are in this case caused to taper to agree with theinclination given the walls of the truncated block. The tongues 9therefore embrace the walls snugly and the block is wedged tightlytherein so that its wide upper portion will prevent the block fromseeking its way downwardly out of the lIOlding frame, It is notedthatthe block 5 will be protected forwardly by the sole 2 and at itsrear by the heel 4, and'that it will therefore not be aptto receivestrains that would tend to twist it laterally out of q the frame, butany strains that'areencountered will be absorbed in the rubber block andWill not be apt to wrench the block out of the frame.

It will also be appreciated from this con struction that, by the removalof the frame from the shoe by withdrawing the fastenings 8, a freshrubber block may be substituted for a worn one and the device replacedWithout a great deal of labor and with only inconsiderable expense. e

The device is preferably narrower than the shank of the shoe as clearlyappears in Fig- 3 to sustain the arch where needed and at the same timeto economize on material and to permit of a lateralflexibility of theshoe when walking. The arch support will al a tend to make the Wearingof the heel more even and will sustain the shank 3 and assist topreserve the original shape of the shoe.

It is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made in thedetails of construction and design of the above specifil cally describedembodiment of this invention without departing from the spirit thereof,such changes and modifications being restricted only by the scope of thefollowing claim.

hat is claimed is:

A shank support for application exteriorly to a shoe comprising anattaching plate having a central opening and separated tongues at themarginal edges of the opening, said tongues being turned down wardlyfrom the plate and normally converging toward their free ends, and ablock of resilient material larger at its upper end fittedin the openingof the plate and re" siliently held by the tongues, said block be ingconstructed and arranged to slip into place through the top of theplate.

WILLIAM H. HORNE.

